Come Home To Me

Prologue

Stein Mansion was eerily dark on October 7th, 2003. Only the moonlight swept across the grounds. At least that was the outsider's view. The inside of the mansion was bathed in glorious light, laughter and booming voices filled the massive dining room. Dinner came to a close as all the lights in the house turned off in an instant. The youngest of the Stein's began to cry and wail causing the other small children to throw fits as well. "Jane?" The voice who called out to the mother was rough yet gentle all the same.

"What Felix?" Jane asked her voice lowering to a whisper.

"The power had to be cut in order for it to be this dark," Felix replied as calmly as possible. Jane's eyes adjusted quickly and her hand found the slight button under the mahogany table. Suddenly all doors and windows were locked and covered. Jane looked at her family quickly.

"All right everyone. Maddie, take Jo with you to the western mountains. Luka take Cass and Clara to the south woods. Felix take Leon and Rowen. to the lake house. Adele, Emily, come with me. I love you all, be safe," Jane instructed. Everyone dispersed and went their separate ways, too scared to speak. Emily took her mother's hand and Adele's in both of her own chubby three-year-old hands. Jane smiled at her daughters before leading them through the dining room door. Harsh and abrasive voices carried through the halls from the main floor.

"Come out Queenie. You can't hide. We won't hurt you," a deep rough voice spoke into the darkness. A different voice began laughing.

"Oh yes, we will. Mr. Kingston has been waiting to get his hands on you Queenie." Jane gulped at the use of her code name. Jane used her years of stealth training to get the girls up the stairs but all was lost when the famous creaky step was stepped on by little Emily. "Oh ho ho. Do we have a wannabe escapee?" Heavy footsteps came pounding towards the stairs. Jane picked up her two daughters and ran. She wasn't fully recovered from her latest injury yet but she had to get her babies out of there. Having two girls slowed her down marginally yet she kept running. Finally when she could no longer hear footsteps chasing her she put her girls down and backed against a wall to catch her breath. She hit her back against something hard, but, had a heartbeat. She tried to scramble away only to strain her shoulders as the man pinned her arms back. She screamed at her girls to run but they were caught too. Emily was crying silently as a large hand was half curled around her neck. Adele was unconscious over a man's shoulder. Jane kept thrashing about until a harsh voice whispered into her ear, "you keep resisting and that little girl dies." Jane looked at Emily and fell limp. "Thought so."

The men carried the three into a black van with sadistic smiles. Jane's wrists and ankles were bound with leather strips. If she struggled the strips burned into her skin. Emily was tied to a seat with the still Adele. Jane felt her cheeks dampen as she realized she had set the girls up for so much pain. Emily fell asleep against Adele for the pain had overwhelmed her senses.

Maddie hurried swiftly through winding servant passages to the western mountains that bordered the mansion to the west.

Felix sprinted while carrying two of his sons. They made it to the lake house in admirable time."Come on boys," Felix mumbled picking the two back up again and running once more.

"Where is Jane?" Luka and Felix asked simultaneously. Maddie gasped and hid the children's eyes. Painted on the side of the house was Good luck finding them King. ;) with a teddy bear with a crown on hanging from a noose. Luka and Felix jogged to Maddie before reading the threat. "Son of a b-"

"No matter how mad you are there are children present," Maddie interrupted her voice breaking. "Luka clean this. Children inside. Go to the upstairs living room with blankets." Maddie dismissed everyone before taking a deep breath. Luka pulled Maddie into a long embrace as she held in her cries. Felix had stormed inside already. He was tearing apart his office looking for things to track. I will find her. And my girls if it's the last thing I do, he thought to himself. As that thought went through his head he pulled himself together before preparing to find his family.